Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Overview

Microsoft Dynamics Enterprise Resource Planning Software is a line of business management software consisting of four separate products owned and developed by Microsoft Corporation. The products include; Dynamics SL, Dynamics AX, Dynamics GP and Dynamics NAV. While each product has been engineered with specific organization size and operational scope in mind, overall they can all be adopted to manage entire business entities from supply chain management, manufacturing, finance and distribution among many other typical business functions. One of the main Microsoft Dynamics ERP selling points is the fact it uses familiar office applications such as excel and harnesses them with cloud based solutions enabling mobility across devices and limitless scalability.     

Microsoft Dynamics AX is packaged for large business entities with operations cutting across different locations. It is mostly implemented by global manufacturers and distributors due to its robustness and the ease at which it provides a unified platform for process standardization and compliance. The most recent release is Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3 CU8. Microsoft Dynamics GP, NAV and SL on the other hand are envisioned for small and medium enterprises albeit in different fields.

With its latest release being Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 (version 12.0), Dynamics GP features strong human resources and financial management functionalities and is therefore mostly preferred by companies dealing in professional services, finance and the public sector. Dynamics NAV which was acquired from Danish software company, Navision, in 2002 is highly configurable with modules that suits manufacturing and distribution companies. Its most recent version is Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013. Microsoft Dynamics SL formerly known as Solomon IV favors project-oriented businesses such as those in the construction industry as it features modules for operation analysis and process automation across company divisions and sites. The latest offering of this product line is Microsoft Dynamics SL 2015.